Howdy Nation.
Working on my second build. Three quarter ply bottom and sides. Three sixteenth ply top. The plywood is well over 30 years old. Actually measures 3/4 of an inch thick. Will have a salvaged neck from a series 10 guitar I bought at a yard sale for $15. Once together it'll be a three stinger. Two single coil sized humbuckers and a standard hardtail bridge. There is a 9/16 air space between the top and back of the guitar. Not sure if I'll put sound holes in it or not.
This guitar is the one I hope to play at the 2nd annual Cigar Box Festival's song writers contest. And jam with everyone at our monthly get togethers.
John Sawyer, the truss rod doesn't move. No matter which direction I turned it nothing happened. The neck and fretboard are all one piece of wood. There were no side markers. So I drilled threw the finish to paint some in. That's when I found out the 'fretboard' is that side of the neck stained black. That guitar I bought at a yard sale was only worth the $15 I spent on it.
YES!!! A straight neck is a thing of BEAUTY!!! There's still some adjusting to do. It has a slight concave bow to it. But it's PLAYABLE!!! Still only have one working pickup. That's fine for now. It's alive and will sound great this Saturday.
I had to move the bridge. So I drilled out next to the old holes. Filled the new holes with wood dowel rod pieces. Then put the bridge in it's new position. 90% of all this is hidden under the bridge.
Got the new neck on. Headed to the nearest open pawn shop right after work today. By the tine I got to things around here I ran out of sunlight. Will continue this tomorrow.
Well it's official. I need another neck. Was planning on just using the amount of strings a song calls for. Three, four and six. The neck warps backwards and becomes unplayable. Found two pawn shops to the east of me open till 6 and 7. I'll be working 12's tomorrow but will be getting off at 5:00. Right now I don't care if I end up with a pink neck. As long as it's straight it's good! I WILL have a guitar ready by Sat! No matter how weird it'll look. : )
John Sawyer > Cause the Blue ratJune 6, 2014 at 12:26am
Hold on a sec... if the neck bows BACKWARD: I.e. high in the center, low at the 1st and 12th fret, then you need to LOOSEN your truss rod!
Worst case, pull the fretboard off, trim it up and glue it on a new neck. You don't need a truss rod for at three string guitar anyway...
Kinda done it. : ) have either a dead pickup or pot. Also need to reposition the bridge. Going to have to move it back a bit. Impossible to set the intonation as it sits. So here it is! AutoRATic Rhythm and Blues Cosmic Glider!
A Duncan Vintage rails in the bridge. Duncan Cool Rails in the neck Will have a master mid cut pot instead of a tone. This will be added later. Don't have all the parts to make that yet.
Well, the truss rod turns but the neck doesn't move. Guess the truss like is like the tuners that was on this neck. Just there for show. I raised the nut up even more. To the thickness of a low E string. Was able to play one fret closer to the nut. Helped. So I tried something else. Loosened the two outer neck screws. Then cut a pick in half and used that to shim the neck. WORKED!!!! Right now the action is high but it's playable. I'll try removing some of the foil out from under the nut and lower the bridge. Hope to lower the action. Even with it high I still have a playable guitar. Get what ever action it'll give me. Then set the intonation. Take the strings back off and fill it full of guts. 'AutoRATic Rhythm and Blues Cosmic Glider' WILL fly tonight!!!
gary herget > Cause the Blue ratJune 1, 2014 at 7:00pm
Ya, it's been a wile. I'm not a builder. No pictures yet. Just stuff I'm going threw to get this thing up and running. OK first I'd like to point out that I don't always think things threw.... that becomes painfully obvious. I need a guitar for this up coming CBG fest. Actually I'd of like to have three. A three string, four string and a six string. So all three are needs go into one guitar. Make a six string! Ya! Fine so far. I bought a guitar at a yard sale for $15. Take the neck off that and make a guitar. Sounds good so far. Remember that part about not thinking things threw? I never put strings on that $15 guitar. Everything revolves around that neck. Well I put that neck on my home made semi hollow body and what do you know. It's warped. Convex. So, thanks to the great people of YouTube I've learned how to adjust a truss rod. However this is going to take a few days to get done. I've cheated a bit. Put aluminum foil under the nut to raise it up. About 3/32. For now i'll keep slowly tightening the truss rod up. A LOT. If this doesn't work I have a plan B. But plan B has obsticals of it's own. Time. I work 10 to 12+ hours a day. I've put a request to be off this coming Friday. If I can't get this neck to work I'll go buy a guitar from the local pan shop. I'll play it first to make sure it's good. For now i'll get the guts in. Now to add insult to injury. I broke a drill bit will setting up for the bridge. I bought a real good set of bits. Used the same size to drill out the broken one.
I'm not a builder. I'm a player. I'd spend hours playing if I had the time. I have a good 50 or more short iMovie vids of parts of songs. I get to playing and something sounds good. Have to keep it. I spend five minutes building and I'm already looking for something else to do. Hat's off to all of you who love to crank CBGs out.
Come hell or high water the 'AutoRATic Rhythm and Blues Cosmic Glider' WILL be playable by Saturday. Even if I get no sleep Friday night. : )
Replies
John Sawyer, the truss rod doesn't move. No matter which direction I turned it nothing happened. The neck and fretboard are all one piece of wood. There were no side markers. So I drilled threw the finish to paint some in. That's when I found out the 'fretboard' is that side of the neck stained black. That guitar I bought at a yard sale was only worth the $15 I spent on it.
Muddy Creek, Looking forward to meeting ya!
Off to a good start!
I'll be at the St. Louis fest. Hope to see you there!
YES!!! A straight neck is a thing of BEAUTY!!! There's still some adjusting to do. It has a slight concave bow to it. But it's PLAYABLE!!! Still only have one working pickup. That's fine for now. It's alive and will sound great this Saturday.
I had to move the bridge. So I drilled out next to the old holes. Filled the new holes with wood dowel rod pieces. Then put the bridge in it's new position. 90% of all this is hidden under the bridge.
Got the new neck on. Headed to the nearest open pawn shop right after work today. By the tine I got to things around here I ran out of sunlight. Will continue this tomorrow.
Well it's official. I need another neck. Was planning on just using the amount of strings a song calls for. Three, four and six. The neck warps backwards and becomes unplayable. Found two pawn shops to the east of me open till 6 and 7. I'll be working 12's tomorrow but will be getting off at 5:00. Right now I don't care if I end up with a pink neck. As long as it's straight it's good! I WILL have a guitar ready by Sat! No matter how weird it'll look. : )
Hold on a sec... if the neck bows BACKWARD: I.e. high in the center, low at the 1st and 12th fret, then you need to LOOSEN your truss rod!
Worst case, pull the fretboard off, trim it up and glue it on a new neck. You don't need a truss rod for at three string guitar anyway...
John
Kinda done it. : ) have either a dead pickup or pot. Also need to reposition the bridge. Going to have to move it back a bit. Impossible to set the intonation as it sits. So here it is! AutoRATic Rhythm and Blues Cosmic Glider!
A Duncan Vintage rails in the bridge.
Duncan Cool Rails in the neck
Will have a master mid cut pot instead of a tone. This will be added later. Don't have all the parts to make that yet.
IMG_5099a.jpg
IMG_5087.JPG
Well, the truss rod turns but the neck doesn't move. Guess the truss like is like the tuners that was on this neck. Just there for show. I raised the nut up even more. To the thickness of a low E string. Was able to play one fret closer to the nut. Helped. So I tried something else. Loosened the two outer neck screws. Then cut a pick in half and used that to shim the neck. WORKED!!!! Right now the action is high but it's playable. I'll try removing some of the foil out from under the nut and lower the bridge. Hope to lower the action. Even with it high I still have a playable guitar. Get what ever action it'll give me. Then set the intonation. Take the strings back off and fill it full of guts. 'AutoRATic Rhythm and Blues Cosmic Glider' WILL fly tonight!!!
There you go you done it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Gary! Hope not to disappoint.
Ya, it's been a wile. I'm not a builder. No pictures yet. Just stuff I'm going threw to get this thing up and running. OK first I'd like to point out that I don't always think things threw.... that becomes painfully obvious. I need a guitar for this up coming CBG fest. Actually I'd of like to have three. A three string, four string and a six string. So all three are needs go into one guitar. Make a six string! Ya! Fine so far. I bought a guitar at a yard sale for $15. Take the neck off that and make a guitar. Sounds good so far. Remember that part about not thinking things threw? I never put strings on that $15 guitar. Everything revolves around that neck. Well I put that neck on my home made semi hollow body and what do you know. It's warped. Convex. So, thanks to the great people of YouTube I've learned how to adjust a truss rod. However this is going to take a few days to get done. I've cheated a bit. Put aluminum foil under the nut to raise it up. About 3/32. For now i'll keep slowly tightening the truss rod up. A LOT. If this doesn't work I have a plan B. But plan B has obsticals of it's own. Time. I work 10 to 12+ hours a day. I've put a request to be off this coming Friday. If I can't get this neck to work I'll go buy a guitar from the local pan shop. I'll play it first to make sure it's good. For now i'll get the guts in. Now to add insult to injury. I broke a drill bit will setting up for the bridge. I bought a real good set of bits. Used the same size to drill out the broken one.
I'm not a builder. I'm a player. I'd spend hours playing if I had the time. I have a good 50 or more short iMovie vids of parts of songs. I get to playing and something sounds good. Have to keep it. I spend five minutes building and I'm already looking for something else to do. Hat's off to all of you who love to crank CBGs out.
Come hell or high water the 'AutoRATic Rhythm and Blues Cosmic Glider' WILL be playable by Saturday. Even if I get no sleep Friday night. : )
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